The Kyocera Hydro View is a classic case of getting what you pay for. It's a budget-friendly phone ($49.99 with activation) with a sturdy build and a bright display, making it a potentially attractive option for outdoor adventurers. But dated hardware and software make it difficult to recommend for anyone else. For half the price, Cricket Wireless customers can get the Alcatel Streak which has similar hardware, more recent software, and a removable battery.

Design, Features, and Display

The Hydro View is the standard chunky black slab common among entry-level phones. Coming in at 5.5 by 2.8 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and 4.9 ounces, it's roughly the same size and weight as the LG Escape 3 (5.7 by 2.8 by 0.3 inches, 4.9 ounces), and a bit bigger than the Streak (5.2 by 2.6 by 0.4 inches, 4.8 ounces). It's easy to use one-handed, and grip is aided by the soft-touch plastic back cover.

There's a power button on the right side, a volume rocker on the left, a 3.5mm audio jack up top, and a micro USB charging port at the bottom. The back cover peels off, giving you access to an integrated SIM and microSD card slot. The latter worked with a 256GB Samsung Evo+ card.

Like many other Kyocera phones, the View is IP57 waterproof, capable of withstanding submersion in 3.28 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. It worked fine after thorough rinse under the sink and some time submerged in a bowl of water. The touch screen is usable when wet, though not very responsive. Some moisture also got under the back cover, but the SIM/microSD card slot is protected by a plastic rim. It's a good idea to wipe off the inside of the phone before swapping out any cards.

The View has a 5-inch, 960-by-540 screen. That's a mere 220 pixels per inch (ppi) density, which isn't the sharpest resolution we've seen on an entry-level phone. It's not as crisp as the 5-inch 720p IPS panel on the Motorola Moto G4 Play (294ppi), for instance, but it does look better than the grainy Streak (which is interesting, as the Streak has a similar 218ppi). The display has fairly good viewing angles along with a high level of brightness that aids in outdoor visibility, though under direct sunlight the screen can be a bit too reflective.

Network Performance and Connectivity

The View operates on Cricket Wireless, which uses AT&T's network, so you'll get identical performance on both carriers. The phone supports GSM (850/900/1800/1900), WCDMA (850/1900), and LTE (2/4/5/17) bands. Network performance is decent, with download speeds reaching a high of 6.2Mbps in our testing in midtown Manhattan. This is in line with other Cricket phones we've tested in the area. There's no dual-band Wi-Fi—just the standard 2.4GHz flavor—or NFC, which isn't surprising at this price range.

Voice calls are solid. Transmissions are clear and noise cancellation is good, barring some minor crackling and wind noise. Earpiece volume is also loud, making it easy to carry on a conversation in a noisy environment.

Processor, Battery, and Camera

The View is powered by a dated Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor clocked at 1.1GHz. It scored a fairly low 21,094 on AnTuTu, which tests overall system performance. That's slightly less than the Alcatel Streak (21,689), which has the same chipset, but benefits from better-optimized software. And it's still a higher score than the Snapdragon 210-powered LG Escape 3 (19,127), though the Snapdragon 410 processor in the G4 Play (28,467) beats them all.

General performance isn't particularly impressive. The View only has 1GB of RAM, which isn't enough for running more than a handful of apps at a time. Even when not carrying out any resource-intensive tasks animations stutter, apps are slow to launch, and there's noticeable touch latency. High-end gaming isn't possible.

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Battery life is average. The phone clocked 3 hours and 49 minutes of full-screen LTE video streaming with screen brightness set to maximum. That's more than the Escape 3 (3 hours, 16 minutes), and just a few minutes less than the Streak (3 hours, 52 minutes). You'll get a much better runtime on the G4 Play, which lasted 7 hours and 50 minutes. The View's battery is sealed in, unlike the Escape 3 and Streak, so you can't swap it out. You do have Eco Mode, though, which can save battery life by reducing screen brightness and turning off background data.

Camera performance is lackluster. The 5-megapixel sensor on the back takes dull, muddy shots regardless of lighting conditions. Autofocus is sluggish and even well-focused shots are nothing to write home about. Indoors the rear camera is grainy, while the 2-megapixel front sensor is soft and hazy. The View can record 720p video at 30fps, but recording isn't much better than shooting still images.

Software

The View ships running Android 5.1 Lollipop, a two-year-old version of the OS. The Alcatel Streak runs Marshmallow, which also isn't the latest, but contains a number of useful tweaks and improvements. At least the View's version of Android is fairly close to stock. The aforementioned Eco Mode has been added to the Settings menu, and there are some minor Kyocera tweaks, but everything should be familiar to most Android users.

The bloatware load is fairly minor too, with just five additional apps, although none of them can be uninstalled. The View only has 8GB of internal storage, and after the software load you're left with a paltry 3.44GB of available space to install more apps and save photos. A microSD card is an option, but only for music and photo storage. I wasn't able to install apps to the card, and it's easy to fill up 3.44GB of space with games and utilities.

Conclusions

For $50, the Kyocera Hydro View is inexpensive enough that you can pick one up and take it on adventures without much worry. But as a daily device, it leaves a lot to be desired. The aging hardware is bogged down by even older software, and internal storage is scarce. For $20 less you can get the Alcatel Streak, a 4.5-inch phone with similar hardware, a removable battery, and Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Since Cricket is a GSM carrier, you also have the option of bringing your own device. The unlocked Moto G4 Play is a good option, as it gets you a crisp 720p display, solid overall performance, and a long-lasting battery, but it costs more than twice the View.

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Ajay Kumar is PCMag's Analyst obsessed with all things mobile. Ajay reviews phones, tablets, accessories, and just about any other gadget that can be carried around with you. In his spare time he games on the rig he built himself, collects Nintendo amiibos, and tries his hand at publishing a novel. Follow Ajay on Twitter @Ajay_H_Kumar.
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